.

part, there was no way he could keep it up indefinitely and by morning it was sure to slip.

      Pearl was back in Battersea once more, this time for an appointment with the solicitor. It was four thirty by the time she left his office and returned to Bessie’s flat where Derek and Nora were waiting for her.

      ‘Well, what did he say?’ Derek asked as soon as she came in.

      ‘There isn’t any way around the conditions of the will,’ Pearl said despondently. ‘It’s watertight.’

      ‘So it’s live here, or nothing.’

      ‘Yes,’ Pearl said shortly, flopping wearily onto Bessie’s old sofa. It had been a long, fraught day and it hadn’t got any better. First they’d had to get the death certificate to arrange the funeral, which had been complicated as they weren’t Bessie’s blood relatives, but armed with her will they finally managed to get everything in place other than the flowers. At least the solicitor had said he’d sort out Bessie’s life insurance policy, and that it should cover the cost of the funeral.

      ‘So what are you going to do?’ Derek asked.

      Pearl sighed. ‘I can’t live in Battersea. You know that.’

      ‘It isn’t a case of can’t. It’s more that you won’t.’

      ‘If we move back here, John is bound to hear the truth about his father, and you’re right, I won’t have that.’

      ‘Why not?’ Derek said curtly. ‘He isn’t a child any more, and by keeping it from him it sounds more like you’re protecting Kevin than him.’

      ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

      ‘All right, have it your own way, but if we don’t move back here, we can’t take Nora on.’

      Appalled, Pearl cried, ‘We’ll have to. I can’t break my promise to Bessie.’

      ‘Have you given any thought to how I feel about all this? What if I don’t want to take Nora on? What if I don’t want the financial responsibility?’ Derek said as he agitatedly ran his fingers through his hair.

      Pearl leaned forward to place both hands across her face. Derek was right; she hadn’t given him a thought. With the loss of her wage, he would be the one to bear the sole brunt of the financial burden.

      She felt the sofa dip beside her and as Derek’s arm wrapped around her shoulder, she leant against him. ‘You’re right. I’m sorry,’ she told him.

      ‘I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have got out of my pram, but you’re asking a lot of me, love. Surely you can see that it makes more sense to find Nora a place in some sort of institution?’

      Pearl felt as though she was being torn in two, with Derek tugging her one way and her promise to Bessie pulling her the other. ‘Derek, I’m sorry, I just can’t think straight at the moment. Let’s go home and we’ll talk about this later.’

      ‘All right, but you might have a job to persuade Nora to leave with us again. She’s done nothing but cry since you left and I can’t get her to come out of her bedroom.’

      ‘She’s confused, upset, and it’s probably where she feels safe,’ Pearl said, heaving a sigh as she stood up. However, she was pleased when in the event it only took a little persuasion to coax Nora into the car.

      ‘Peace at last. Nora’s gone to sleep,’ Derek said when they were half an hour into the journey.

      Pearl closed her eyes too. She had so much thinking to do, but at last, as they reached the outskirts of Winchester, she came to a tentative decision.

Chapter Eight

      ‘Other than thanking us for taking care of John in our will, you’ve hardly mentioned him,’ Dolly said as Kevin prepared to leave on Wednesday morning. ‘I know Pearl has sole custody, but she should let you see him.’

      ‘I want to achieve something first, to show John, and everyone else, that I’ve changed,’ Kevin replied.

      ‘John has only been told that you went to prison for robbery,’ Dolly pointed out. ‘Just recently he said he’d like to see you and I think he’s waited long enough, Kevin. It’s about time he met his real father.’

      Kevin knew his father was listening and that if he wanted money he still had to impress him. ‘Mum, I’ve hardly been a father to be proud of, and I wouldn’t blame Pearl if she refused.’

      ‘It won’t matter if she does. Your father goes to pick John up from Winchester once a month and he spends the day with us. When he’s here, if you just happen to turn up, Pearl needn’t know about it.’

      ‘It would be wrong to deceive her. If I’m to see my son, it must be with his mother’s permission.’

      ‘But …’

      ‘Dolly, you heard what Kevin said,’ Bernie interrupted. ‘I for one am pleased to hear that he wants to do things properly.’

      ‘That’s right, Dad. I don’t want to cause any upset, to Pearl or to John.’

      ‘Kevin, I want you to take this.’

      He looked at the wad of notes his father held out, wanting nothing more than to grab them; but as he might need to come back for more, he kept up his act. ‘No, Dad. I’ve caused you and Mum enough heartache as it is and I certainly can’t take your money.’

      ‘That’s all in the past now and this is just a little something to help you out.’

      ‘There’s no need. I trust in God to provide for my needs.’

      ‘Kevin, please, it would ease my mind if you take it,’ Dolly cajoled.

      ‘You have no need to worry about me. I still have a little money and I’ll be fine.’

      ‘If you don’t find a job straight away, it’ll soon run out’ Bernie pointed out.

      ‘Then as I said, Dad, God will provide.’

      Bernie stuffed the money into Kevin’s hand, saying firmly, ‘Right then, you can call this a small donation towards the opening of your refuge.’

      Kevin used a practised gentle smile. ‘In that case, thank you. The money will be used for just that purpose, and God bless you. Now I must go, but I’ll keep in touch.’

      ‘Don’t leave it too long before we see you again,’ Dolly begged tearfully.

      ‘I’ll ring you as soon as I’m settled,’ Kevin said, forcing himself to kiss his mother’s cheek as he said his goodbyes. He wanted to get out of there, wanted to count the money. How much had his father given him? Would it fund what might be an expensive trip to Soho?

      Bernie waited until Dolly was having an afternoon nap, and then rang Pearl in Winchester. ‘Pearl, it’s Bernie. Kevin’s been released. You have nothing to worry about though. Kevin insists that he won’t try to see John without your permission.’

      ‘And you believe him? You didn’t sound so sure the last time we spoke.’

      ‘I must admit I was sceptical, and I still am – but think about it, Pearl. If Kevin was just using his religious conversion as a ploy to get parole, he has no need to keep it up now that he’s been released.’

      ‘Where is he? Is he staying with you?’

      ‘No, he left this morning. He’ll be staying with a friend of his in Ealing, but once he’s on his feet again he may get in touch with you. If he does, what are you going to do? Will you allow him to see John?’

      ‘I don’t know. I don’t want to, but maybe if I know he won’t be alone with John …’ Pearl’s voice trailed off.

      ‘From the way Kevin spoke, it won’t be for a while yet.’

      ‘Bernie,